Two teams looking to regain their early-season form meet on Saturday evening when the Montréal Impact play host to FC Dallas at Stade Saputo. The Impact have fallen out of the top spot in the Eastern Conference for the first time since May, now winless in four games after a 4-0 loss at New York last weekend. FC Dallas saw their winless run extended to seven games last time out and their home undefeated streak put to an end in a 3-0 loss to Real Salt Lake.

FC Dallas had their winless streak extended to seven matches with a second consecutive defeat, a 3-0 loss to Real Salt Lake on Saturday evening in Frisco. FCD are in fourth place in the Western Conference with 31 points from 20 matches.

LAST MATCH

Real took the lead in the 39th minute. An FC Dallas free kick just outside the RSL box was blocked, and RSL took off on the break. Abdoulie Mansally’s attempted pass was kicked by Zach Loyd, but ricocheted directly Javier Morales in stride. He then nutmegged Loyd with a quick shot from inside the area that seemed to surprise goalkeeper Raul Fernandez as it found the bottom right corner.

Real Salt Lake put the match away in the 79th minute. Mansally was again involved, sending in a cross that found a wide-open Ned Grabavoy alone in the middle of the box, and he powered a right-footed shot into the right upper corner of the net.

Substitute Olmes Garcia stretched it to 3-0 in the 90th minute. Luis Gil sent in a cross from the right that was whiffed on by Joao Plata, but it fell to Garcia to turn home on the half-volley with a right-footed finish.

FC Dallas head coach Schellas Hyndman made two changes to the team that fell 2-0 to the LA Galaxy at StubHub Center. Jackson and Kenny Cooper came into the team, in place of David Ferreira and Blas Perez.

FC Dallas were shut out for a third consecutive match as Real Salt Lake won for the first time ever in the state of Texas in the victory in Frisco.

“I thought we played well enough to win the game, but then you look at the margin of difference in the score. It wasn't a 1-0 game. It wasn't a referee making mistakes. It was that we gave up soft goals and we didn't score our chances,” said FCD head coach Schellas Hyndman. “I think it’s time to make some changes. We’ve been going long enough with people’s play from the previous year, now we need to give some other players a chance.”

FC Dallas also saw their current league winless streak extended to seven games in the loss to RSL, their longest since a 13-game winless run that stretched from April 21 to July 7 last season. It was also their first home loss in 14 league games, dating back to last August.

“If you look at our last two games at home: the Chivas USA game, we had a great start and didn't finish. Tonight, we had a great start, and didn't finish,” said Hyndman. “We need to continue doing the types of things that we've been doing, penetrating, creating scoring chances, and we've just got to finish. Players have their roles on the team. If you're a goalkeeper, everybody understands your role, keep the ball out of the goal. If you're an attacking player, everybody understands your role, finish your chances.”

Fabian Castillo was given the start up top, partnering Kenny Cooper in attack. David Ferreira came off the bench for the final quarter of the match.

“We played Fabian as a forward today because we thought we could put [Real Salt Lake's] defense under pressure, which we did,” said Hyndman. “At the same time, after we got scored on, it really became hard for us. It seemed like maybe the enthusiasm wasn't there. The urgency wasn't there. The confidence wasn't there. They came to life, and we kind of went to sleep. But, Fabian was very dangerous for us tonight in the attack.”

Ramon Nuñez made his third consecutive appearance off the substitutes’ bench, coming on at halftime in place of Jackson.

“Jackson caused a lot of problems for them. It came down to creating wonderful chances and not finishing them,” said Hyndman. “The second half, we tried to pick up the urgency of play.”

FC Dallas seem ready to welcome back central defender George John into the team, after he’s missed the last four matches with a hamstring strain.

“When you look at our back four, Jair [Benítez] is not vocal, Matt [Hedges] is not vocal and Zach [Loyd] is not vocal,” Hyndman said. “[John] comes in and coordinates everybody together and some people thrive off of that and … play better because of [the leadership]. What he also brings in is a little bit of intensity and he’s a little bit more vocal.”

MONTREAL IMPACT
The Montréal Impact had their winless run extended to four games, falling 4-0 to the New York Red Bulls on Saturday evening at Red Bull Arena. The Impact are now tied for second place in the Eastern Conference with 31 points from 18 matches.

LAST MATCH

The Red Bulls got off to a dream start, taking the lead in the eighth minute. Eric Alexander made a mazy dribbling run past three Impact defenders before slotting a low shot past Impact goalkeeper Troy Perkins and just inside the far corner.

Thierry Henry doubled the lead eight minutes later. Fabian Espindola was given time and space with the ball at his feet at the edge of the penalty area and chipped the ball to a streaking Henry, who easily tapped home the perfectly-weighted cross just feet away from the goal.

The Red Bulls made 3-0 in the 63rd minute. Tim Cahill got onto the end of a Henry corner kick and nodded it home with a diving effort.

The rout was complete in the 88th minute. After substitute Lloyd Sam had been brought down by Jeb Brovsky in the 18-yard box, Peguy Luyindula fired the resulting penalty kick low and to the right to open his MLS scoring account.

Impact head coach Marco Schällibaum made three changes to the team that reached a 1-1 tie with Chivas USA at Stade Saputo. Patrice Bernier, Davy Arnaud and Justin Mapp all came into the midfield, in place of Collen Warner, Felipe Martins and Sanna Nyassi.

The Impact had their current winless stretch extended to a season-long four games in the loss to the New York Red Bulls. Montréal has allowed 12 goals in those four matches.

“It wasn’t good, we didn’t start well,” Impact head coach Marco Schällibaum said. “We made individual mistakes, we weren’t in the game and we were too timid. You never win when you play like that.”

The four goals allowed by the Impact matched their season-high, which has come twice in the last four matches (last: June 29, 1-4 vs Colorado).

"We must not panic," said Davy Arnaud. There are tough times in a season. We must come back stronger in our next game. We are still in a great place in the standings, but we need to find a way to win and allow fewer goals."

The Impact have now allowed 11 goals in three games at New York, and 14 goals in five games all-time against the Red Bulls. Thierry Henry has scored six goals and added two assists vs. Montréal.

"We must forget that we are first and work just like we did at the start of the season," said Marco Di Vaio. We hope that it will be the solution to find our winning ways again."

Justin Mapp made his first start since June 15, when he was forced to leave the Columbus early with an injury. Mapp had missed the last four league matches.

The Impact fell out of first place in the Eastern Conference for the first time since the start of June. They were out of the top spot for just four weeks this season – essentially the entire month of May.

“We were happy with everything for a long time. Tonight, I take responsibility. Maybe there are details I need to change, and I take full responsibility for that,” Schällibaum said. “ … Being first is tough; staying first is tougher. We have to rebuild the foundations we had before and get back to work.”

Blake Smith made his third consecutive appearance off the substitutes’ bench – and played his longest shift as a professional, coming on in the 36th minute for Andres Romero.

“I can’t change three guys in the first half,” Schällibaum said. “It was a message. It was a little bit better afterwards, but mostly after the break. We worked well in the 20 minutes before their third goal.”